Heat interchanger



O E FRANK HEAT INTERCHANGER Filed Dec'. ef 1927 N k n in Q;

Oct. 16, 1928.

@wm I aunts/mq Patented Oct. 16, 1928.

UNITED, STATES .PATENT OFFICE.

OLIVE E. FRANK, OF BUFALO, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR TO O. E. FRANK 'HEATER & EN GI- NEERING CO., INC., OF BUFFALO, YORK, A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

HEAT INTERCHANGER.

Application led December 6, I1927.l Serial No. 2318,102.

' This'finvention relates 4to improvements in heat interchangers and more particularly to the typemf construction which includes a two-part shell longitudinally delimiting a heat exchange chamber, at least two sets 4or nests of' tubes arranged in the chamber to provide a path for the flow of one of the fluids, and a battle plate interposedbetween each set of tubes and the adjacent set to .prescribe the path of iiow of the other fluid. f An object of the invention is to provide 'a form and c'arrangement of such elements as will insure' the positive centering of the batiie plate with suitable seals along its margins and will \permit the easy and quick removal of the -baiiie plate upon the removal of one section of the shell, thereby rendering all thel tubes completely accessible forinspection, cleaning or repair.

Withthe above object in view the invention is directed to the combination of the shell parts, tube nest and baiie' plate where in the form and arrangement of the elements isfsuch that the baiiie plate is positivel held and centered in position solely by. the c ooperation of the shell sections without the use .of additional securing means, the marginal portions of the bailie plate having such engagement with the shell sections that leak- 3o age oflthe Huid ast said marginal portions is prevented, an wherein upon the removal of one section of the shell, the baiiiemay be freely removed by pulling it transversel and in a direction of its plane from its position between the tube nests.

Embo'dirnents of my invention are. shown in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

along the center line -of the unitat right 4 angles to the -main baie late. Figure 2 isa sec'tiona view taken along line 2-f2lofFigureL Figure-is a secfiial view tak'nja'long line 3-13j ofliigiiref'1.*ffv

modified, construction l respondin'gltoA line 2 2" of Figure' 1.

As ,related before, the heat exchange chamber indicated at 1 is delimited by a split taken along a line corformed with fluid inlet and outlet openings 3 and 4, preferably arranged opposite to 6 each other, adjacent to one end of the shell,

Flgure lis a longitudinal section taken .chamber 1 and baiiie Figure-4 isa sectional view of a slightly shell or casing 2 which preferably is com' these openings being, of course, in open communication with the'chamber 1. In order to provide a tortuous pathy for the fluid passing through the chamber, a baiile plate 5 is longitudinally interposed within the chamber' whereby the inlet fluid must pass aloggone side of the baffle to the opposite end of the shell, returning along the other side of the baffie to the outlet opening 4.

The path VIAfor the other iiuid includes two tube nests 6 which pass throu h the cham ber 1 on opposite sides of the aille plate 5. The tubes of each nest 6 are supported at one end by a plate 7^ which is interposed and securely held betweenl the adjacent end of the shell 2 and a head 8 by any suitable securing' means. The tubes pass through the plate 7 and are in open communication with the interior' of the head 8. The head 8 is provided with inlet and outlet openings 9 and 10 andpreferably is divided into three ycompartments A, B and C by partitions 11. The end of the head is closed by a cover 12.

The opposite ends of the tubes are embedded in and pass through individual plates 13 and v14 respectively and communicate with the interior of the iioatinghcads 15 and 16 respectively. The provision of individual ioating heads permits the expansion and contraction of the tube nests;indepen dently of each other and of the shell. If desired, however, only one fioating head may be utilized. such head having separate chambers for the separate tube nests. This end of the shell is closed by a cover 17 secured to the shell;

The tortuous fluid path' deiined by the plate 5 is further ob placed transversely of structed by baiiies 18 and the tube nests 6;

both the chamber 1 bames abut against the baiiie plate 5 and the wall of chamber 1 respectively.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that any iiuid passing through the inlet opening 3 lmust travelr alternately toward thebaiiie plate 5 and thewall of chamber 1 until it reachesg'the opposite end of the shell whence it passes around the end of the baiile to the other side of the shell and returnsin like manner to the outlet opening 4.

In connection with the path of How just described, it is noted that a portion of each set of tubes extends between the tube sheet These baiiles are staggered so thatalternate 7 and the inlet and outlet openings 3 and 4c respectively. It is evident that these portions are not in the direct path of flow and consequently in order to utilize the entire active surface of the tubes, it is necessary to provide means for directing the fiow of fluid into the space occupied by these portions of the tubes. This is accomplished by providing a bafiie plate adjacent eac'h open- 'ing (inlet and outlet) as' indicated at 19,

which bafiie plate extends longitudinally of the shell from the first of the transverse d flowing through these openings is compelled to pass through such space and, therefore,

around the otherwise inactive surface of the s tubes.

The other Huid passing through the inlet opening 9.and the adjacent chamber A, must travel through some tubes in 'one of the tube nests 6 to the chamber of head 15 from which it returns through the remaining tubes of the same nest back to chamber B. From chamber B the cycle is repeated through the other tube nest, the fluid passing through some tubes in said nest to the chamber in head 16 and returning. through the remaining tubes of the same /nest' to the chamber C whence it passes to the outlet opening 10.

Because of the nature of the liquids and gases. flowing through heat exchangers, frequent cleaning of the outside of the tubes and the interior of the heat exchange cham-4 ber is necessary for successful and economical operation. One of the features of this lnvention is the provision for the ready removal of the baffle plate 5 whereby both tube nests are accessible forinspection or cleaning purposes. This is accomplished by internally rabbeting one section ofthe shell along its longitudinal margins as at 20to provide recesses into which the baflie plate 5 is fitted. Thus when the sections of the shell are bolted together the baffle plate Awill y the shell, whereupon the baffle maybe pulled ybe centered accurately and held securely in place by said sections while at the same time the fluid path will be effectively sealed along the longitudinal margins of the baffle plate. In order to remove the baffle' plate and thereby completely expose the tubes, it is only necessary to remove the rabbeted section of transversely in a direction of its plane from its position between the tube nests 6.

If desired, however, each shell may berabbeted to-form the recesses into which the bai-He plate 5 is fitted, or each section of the shell may be formed with one rabbeted portion whereby when bolted together, opposedgrooves result. This latter construction permits the shell sections to be interchangeable and is illustrated in Figure 4, wherein the baffle plate 5 is fitted on one side, in the rabbeted portion of one shell section and on the other side, in the rabbeted portion of the other shell section.

While the invention has been illustrated as applied to specific embodiments of heat interchangers, it is to be understood that itis not limited thereto but may be applied to any suitable vertical or horizontal unit.

Having fully described myA invention, I claim: l

1. A heat interchanger comprisinga shell composed of at least two sections removably secured together 'and delimiting a heat exchange chamber, two tube nests in said chamber providing a path for the flow of one of the fluids, the shell bein-g formed with grooves along its longitudinal margins,`

and a bafiie plate interposed between the tube nests prescribed. a path of flow for the other fluid and having its longitudinal marginal edges arranged in said grooves whereby the path of flow of said other fluid is sealed along said marginal edges of the baffle and the baffle centered and held in position and wherein, upon the removal of at least one section of the shell, the baille may be freely removed.

2. yA heat interchanger comprising a yshell i composed .of at least two sections removably secured together and delimiting a heat exchange chamber, two tube nests in said chamber providing a path for the flow of one lof the fluids, one section of the shell being internally rabbeted alongv its longitudinal margins and cooperating with the other section to form opposed grooves, and a baffle plate interposed between the tube nests prescribing a path of flow for the other fluid and having its longitudinal marginal edges arranged in said rgrooves whereby' the path of flow of said other fiuid is sealed along said marginal edges of the baffle and the baffle centered and held in position and wherein, upon the removal of at least one section of the shell, the ba-flie may be freely removed.

In testimony whereof I hereby afliag my signature.

OLIVE E. FRANK. 

